After 470 days, Ben Simmons was again active on an NBA field beyond one preseason game.
The Australian first watched that fateful end of the 2020-2021 season in the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks (he did not play in 2021-2022).
The first time he wears the colors of the Brooklyn Nets. The rival? None other than his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Here is the gist of stats and observations after 19 first-half draft minutes (the starters only played that first half). As for the party, in this background case, the victory was in the hands of the 76ers 127-108, with an outstanding performance by Tyrese Maxey (20 points in 14 minutes)
Simmons played 19:08 minutes of the first half and finished them with 6 points, five assists, four rebounds, two turnovers, 3-6 from the field, and 0-2 free throws. Brooklyn was a -10 during his stretch in the area.
As expected, Steve Nash opened the game with a starting lineup of Kyrie IrvingJoe Harris (another returning from a setback; 6 points in 15 minutes), Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Nick Claxton. Unlike the Sixers, the Australian started as a central defender at Claxton.
Simmons will no longer be the full-time shooting guard he was with the Sixers, in addition to sometimes clearing the ball to spread the net attack, in a role he shared with Irving Philadelphia, Characteristics much more typical of an interior.
Blocking (usually Kyrie), cutting to the rim without the ball, occupying the Shadow Point, and even receiving multiple post balls (unsuccessful on those attempts).
Two of his three conversions from the field came in simple finishing actions in the paint assisted by one of his teammates. I tend to be more comfortable in the area: the transition.
At least in this first match. Steve Nash indicated his intention to use Simmons as part of the second device. By sharing the field with Patty Mills, he could play much more like a classic shooting guard, leaving his former Spurs compatriot in his traditional shooter role.
The LSU-trained player's versatility allows the coaching staff to be creative with his rotations.
Time off the field doesn't seem to have changed much favor when it comes to Simmons' most blatant debit: Shooting. The Aussie missed his shots from near the rim and both free throws too much, showing no change in mechanics. Three shots? Of course not. He didn't look at the tires outside the painted field of action.
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